Kenner council orders demolition of unsafe house at 1918 Kansas Avenue after owner fails to respond

The Kenner City Council on Sept. 19 voted unanimously, 7-0, to demolish a structure at 1918 Kansas Avenue after code enforcement described it as a public hazard and said the owner had not complied with notices to repair.

Catherine Toppel, director of inspection and code enforcement, presented an engineers report describing wood rot, missing coverings exposing framing, leaning pilasters on the front porch and other structural failures that compromised the buildings stability. The report recommended the city abate the property by demolition. Toppel said the city has been attempting to secure activity on the structure since July 2022 and that neighbors repeatedly reported it as an eyesore.

The council also heard from a court-appointed curator representing the absent owners. The curator said they attempted to locate heirs and contact information by searching assessor records and directories, and by placing legal notice advertisements. "I was appointed curator on April 24 in an attempt to locate the property owners... To date, I haven't heard anything from anybody regarding the property," the curator said, summarizing certified-mail attempts and notices placed in newspapers.

The council considered whether any heirs or succession proceedings had been opened. The curator and council members said no succession had been filed and that they had not located responsible relatives through usual searches. Council discussion included empathy about prior owners and acknowledgement that relatives live out of town and had shown no interest in the property.

Authority and vote: Toppel cited the city's code of ordinances and the engineer's report; the presentation referenced "section 5-57" of the city code (structure violations). Council Member Shawwith moved to demolish the building within the time allowed by law; Council Member Dunn seconded. The motion passed 7-0.

Implementation note: Toppel said the demolition process would include coordinating the disconnection of utilities; the code office appointed a curator and will proceed under abatement procedures if no interested party steps forward. The council removed a related agenda item earlier in the meeting after the homeowner demolished a separate property voluntarily.

Ending: With the vote, the city will proceed to abate the public hazard at 1918 Kansas Avenue by demolition unless the owner or an authorized representative acts within the statutory notice period.